CH&LA News

The U.S. Travel Association has elected California Hotel & Lodging Association President and CEO, Lynn Mohrfeld, CAE as an At-Large Director for the Board of Directors for the 2014-2016 term. Mohrfeld joins the Board with five other newly elected At-Large Directors, two of which are also from California. Mohrfeld’s first meeting as an At-Large Director will be during the Destination Capitol Hill event on February 28, 2014 in Washington D.C.

Indian Wells, Calif. - The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) elected its 2014 Board of Directors at today’s annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa in Palm Springs. The nominating committee presented six candidates for consideration to the Board of Directors, who subsequently elected all nominees. Those joining the CH&LA Board of Directors include Laurenne Douglas, Director of Operations for Pacific Plaza Hotels; Paul Gibbs, CHA, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza LAX; Hee Won Lim, General Manager of the Pacific Palms Resort; Elvin Lai, Owner of Ocean Park Inn Hotel; RJ Mayer, Chairman of the Robert Mayer Corporation; and John...

Indian Wells, Calif. – The California Hotel & Lodging Association announced their 2013 Stars of the Industry award winners today at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. The annual Stars of the Industry awards, presented by USA TODAY, are given out to honor lodging employees and properties that best symbolize the quality service of the industry. The 2013 awards were given out for four property and six individual categories.

Indian Wells, Calif. - The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) inducted Luis C. Barrios, General Manager of the Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel in San Diego, into the CH&LA Hall of Fame today at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. The Hall of Fame award is CH&LA’s most prestigious honor, presented to California hoteliers or industry executives recognized for outstanding contributions of leadership, service, and professionalism to the California lodging industry and the community at large. Luis Barrios is the 25th recipient of the CH&LA Hall of Fame award.

California Hotel & Lodging Association’s (CH&LA) national affiliate, American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) has distributed a total of $43,000 in scholarship awards to 25 California students at seven different hospitality programs. Scholarships are awarded based on academic performance, hospitality work experience, financial need and other requirements based on specific criteria of the scholarship. In addition, all of the scholarships are funded by voluntary industry contributions.

We have received many emails and calls, saying, “please tell me it isn’t true!”, but yes, yes it is – Ellen Anderson, CH&LA’s Northern CA Membership Manager is retiring at the end of August. Ellen has been with CH&LA for over five years. Ellen has generated over 230 new members for CH&LA over the years and is known all over Northern California due in part to her great sense of humor, easy going style and her love of costumes.

Join top PKF-HR executives on August 27 at 11:00 a.m. as they share the latest Hotel Horizons® forecast for U.S. lodging industry performance in 2014. You'll learn valuable information needed to finalize budgets for the upcoming year, including such key measurements as supply, demand, occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR. In addition to a breakdown by chain and major markets, participants will receive guidance regarding recent and future Trends® in hotel revenues, expenses, and profits.

CH&LA Board Chair and Santa Clara County business owner, Bimal Patel, CHA, testifies on behalf of CH&LA at the County Board of Supervisors Finance and Government Operations Committee on Thursday August 9th, 2013.

Tom Klein, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Regional Vice President California and General Manager of the Fairmont San Francisco, has been appointed the Secretary/Treasurer of the California Hotel & Lodging Association Board of Directors.

The following is a Public Safety announcement intended for all hotel and lodging establishments:

During the last year two incidents occurred in hotels in the City of Burlingame, California and the Town of Boone, North Carolina. In both cases hotels guests were seriously injured and/or died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The investigations into both incidents are ongoing. However, in both cases, the investigation centers around the installation of boilers which were not part of the original construction of the building. It is believed these boilers vented carbon monoxide gas into enclosed spaces (including guest rooms) where the injuries occurred. ...

The Handlery Foundation has yet again shown their continued support to the hospitality community with a $5,000 donation to the California Hotel & Lodging Association Education Foundation (CH&LAEF) scholarship program. The Handlery Foundation has been an essential supporter of the CH&LA Education Foundation and its mission to foster the education of our future hospitality industry leaders. For two generations, the Handlery family has been a very active member of the California Hotel & Lodging Association for many years with Jon Handlery currently sitting on the board of directors.

Denver, CO – Two California nominees were announced as award recipients at the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) Stars of the Industry Awards. Jim Catlett, from the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, California, was awarded the 2013 Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year Award, Large Property Category and Marissa Edwards, Terranea Resort, was awarded the 2013 WIL Connect Leader of the Year award.

Denver, Colorado - The California Hotel & Lodging Association(CH&LA) is the recipient of the Chair’s Cup award for outstanding performance in membership development for 2012. The Chairman’s Cup awards were presented during the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Summer Summit in Denver, Colorado.

The California Hotel & Lodging Association Education Foundation (CH&LAEF) announced ten scholarship award recipients. These scholarships, along with the sponsorship of the Hospitality Conference geared towards students’ continued education in the hospitality industry, total $22,500 for this year. The award winners of these scholarships are exemplary students and are an asset to our industry. This year’s winners come from the California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, San Diego State University, California State University – Long Beach, and Mount San Antonio College.